New Jersey Devils: The 50 Best Players in History

The New Jersey Devils have won three Stanley Cup Championships in their 36 seasons of existence.

They were admitted into the NHL in 1974-75 in the NHL's latest round of expansion with the Washington Capitals.

New Jersey started as the Kansas City Scouts, and stayed in Kansas City for only two seasons before moving operations to Denver and rechristening themselves as the Colorado Rockies.

As the Rockies and as the Scouts, the team had little luck, starting their history with 13 straight losing seasons.

On June 30, 1982, the franchise moved for the second time in six seasons and became the New Jersey Devils.

In recent years, the advent of advanced statistical analysis has afforded us the opportunity to compare players by using more than just the basic statistic set of goals, assists, plus/minus and penalty minutes. It also allows us to include goalies in comparison to position players.

50. Alexander Mogilny (2000-2001, 2005-2006, PS: 13.5)

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Mogilny, a right winger, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round of the 1988 NHL Draft. He would play for Buffalo and later the Vancouver Canucks for his first 10 and a half NHL seasons before being traded to the Devils in 2000 for Brendan Morrison and Denis Pederson.

Mogilny would play with New Jersey for a season and a half in his first tour of duty with the team. In 2000-01, he would post 43 goals, good for sixth in the league, and 40 assists. In the 2001 offseason he signed a free-agent contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, eventually playing there for three seasons.

He would return to New Jersey for his final NHL season, playing 34 games in 2005-06. He totalled 58 goals and 56 assists in 121 games for the Devils, racking up 53 penalty minutes and tabulating a minus-1 rating.

49. Mark Johnson (1985-1990, PS: 13.5)

Johnson, a center, was drafted in the fourth round of the 1977 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He would subsequently gain fame as one of the heroes of the US Olympic team, scoring two goals in the famous 4-3 USA victory over the Soviet National Team.

Johnson made his professional NHL debut with the Penguins, later playing for the Minnesota North Stars, the Hartford Whalers and the St. Louis Blues before being traded to New Jersey in the 1985 offseason.

He would play the final five seasons of his career with the Devils. In the 1987-88 playoff run to the conference championship, he would score 18 points in 18 games before New Jersey was ousted four games to three by the Boston Bruins.

He totalled 89 goals and 140 assists over 305 games for the Devils, and had a cumulative rating of minus-53 and 88 penalty minutes.

47. Shawn Chambers (1995-1997, PS: 13.8)

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Chambers, a defenseman, was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1987 NHL supplemental draft. He would play four seasons with the North Stars and go on to play for the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightening before being traded to New Jersey near the end of the 1994-95 season.

Chambers made an immediate impact, and his strong defense helped the Devils to their first Stanley Cup.

He was seldom penalized, totalling 43 penalty minutes over his two and a half seasons with the Devils. His strong defensive play is reflected in a rating of plus-20 for the Devils. He would also total eight goals and 43 assists in 158 career games.

46. Barry Beck (1977-1979, PS: 14.6)

Beck was drafted in the first round, second overall, by the Colorado Rockies in the 1977 NHL Draft.

In his rookie season he was named to the All-Star team. He also set a record for a first year defenseman with 22 goals scored, since broken by Brian Leetch. He played two full seasons and part of a third for the Rockies, totalling 37 goals, 71 assists, 188 penalty minutes and a rating of minus-46.

45. John Van Boxmeer (1976-1979, PS: 14.7)

Van Boxmeer, a defenseman, was drafted in the first round of the 1972 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadians. He requested a trade to maximize his playing time. The Canadians granted his request by sending him to Colorado in 1976.

Boxmeer racked up 23 goals and 87 assists for the Rockies, posting a minus-58 and 165 penalty minutes in 197 games.

He was traded to the Buffalo Sabres just prior to the 1979-80 season. He would later also play for the Quebec Nordiques.

After retiring in 1984, Van Boxmeer stayed busy by coaching on various levels of play, most recently as head coach of SC Bern of Switzerland's Nationalliga A.

43. Brendan Shanahan (1987-1991, 2009, PS: 16.3)

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Shanahan, a left winger, was drafted by the Devils in the first round of the 1987 NHL Draft.

Very soon, Shanahan made his NHL debut, appearing in 65 games in 1987-88. He would stay in New Jersey for four seasons before joining the St. Louis Blues, the Hartford Whalers, the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers. He would return to the Devils for his final season in 2008-09.

He played a total of 315 games for the Devils, scoring 94 goals and 134 assists, 553 penalty minutes and a cumulative rating of minus-1.

Shanahan retired as the only player in NHL history with at least 600 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes.

Shanahan currently serves as the NHL's Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and head disciplinarian.

42. Sean Burke (1987-1992, Adjusted PS: 16.6)

Burke went 10-1 as a rookie in 1987-88. He would make the All-Star team in the 1988-89 season, posting 22 wins.

He would spend his first four NHL seasons with New Jersey, posting a 62-66-23 record, a .876 save percentage and a 3.65 goals against average.

Burke later played for the Hartford Whalers, the Carolina Panthers, the Vancouver Canucks, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Florida Panthers, the Phoenix Coyotes, the Tampa Bay Lightening and the Los Angeles Kings.

Burke currently serves as the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes.

39. Dave Andreychuk (1996-1999, PS: 17.5)

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Andreychuk, a left winger, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the 1982 NHL Draft. He would spend 10 and a half seasons with Buffalo, later playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs before being traded to New Jersey near the end of the 1995-96 season.

In 1996-97, Andreychuk played in all 82 games, scoring 61 points and compiling a rating of plus-38, good for third in the NHL.

He totalled 64 goals and 86 assists in 224 games for the Devils. He spent 104 minutes in the box and put up a career plus-60.

He would later play for the Boston Bruins, the Colorado Avalanche, the Sabres and the Tampa Bay Lightning. He retired as the league's all-time leader in power-play goals with 274.

He currently serves with the Tampa Bay Lightning as Vice President in charge of fans.

38. Mike Kitchen (1976-1984, PS: 17.7)

Kitchen, a defenseman, was drafted in the third round of the 1976 NHL Draft by the Kansas City Scouts. He would spend his entire eight-season playing career with the organization, through both moves to Colorado and New Jersey.

Kitchen was mostly a stay at home defenseman. He would play 474 games for Colorado/New Jersey, scoring 12 goals and 62 assists with 370 penalty minutes and a minus-139 rating.

37. Andy Greene (2006-Present, PS: 18.5)

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Greene signed with the Devils as an undrafted free agent in the 2006 offseason.

A defenseman, not much was expected of Greene when he was first called up as an injury replacement. The Devils were stacked at defenseman, and Greene was at the time a stopgap solution. However, he performed so well the Devils had to keep him.

Greene assisted on 31 goals in 2009-10, a career best. He played in all 82 games in the 2010-11 season.

He has totalled 15 goals and 70 assists in 291 games for the Devils, with 86 penalty minutes and a minus-12 rating.

35. Johnny Oduya (2006-2010, PS: 19.9)

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Oduya was drafted in the seventh round of the 2001 NHL Draft by the Washington Capitals. He never appeared with them, instead bouncing around the Swedish Leagues for several seasons before signing a free-agent contract with the Devils prior to the 2006 season.

He made his biggest impact for the Devils during the 2007-08 season, posting a plus-27 rating, good for ninth in the NHL. The defenseman was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers during the 2009-10 season in the transaction that brought Ilya Kovalchuk to New Jersey.

In three and a half seasons for New Jersey, he scored 17 goals and 53 assists with 155 penalty minutes and a stellar plus-45 rating in 273 games.

34. Lyle Odelein (1996-2000, PS: 20.1)

Odelein was drafted in the seventh round of the 1986 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadians. He made his NHL debut with the club in 1990, and would go on to play a total of seven seasons with Montreal.

He was traded to New Jersey for Stephane Richer in 1996 just before the regular season, playing for the Devils for three and a half seasons. In Montreal, he had racked up a lot of penalty minutes. In New Jersey he filled a different role, halving his (still substantial) penalty box time.

In 285 games for New Jersey, Odelein scored 13 goals and 73 assists, a plus-23 rating and 499 penalty minutes.

He went on to play for the Phoenix Coyotes, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Dallas Stars, the Florida Panthers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

31. Viacheslav Fetisov (1989-1995, PS: 23.2)

A defenseman, Fetisov was drafted by the Devils in the eighth round of the 1983 NHL Draft.

He made his NHL debut in the 1989-90 season, scoring 42 points for the Devils, a career high.

Fetisov would total five and a half seasons for the Devils, playing 341 games, compiling 19 goals, 111 assists, 410 penalty minutes and a plus-44 rating. He was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 1995, and would finish his NHL career with three and a half seasons there.

For his contributions in the NHL plus his international career, Fetisov was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

30. Claude Lemieux (1990-1995, 1999-2000, PS: 24.7)

Lemieux is one of only 10 players in NHL history to win a Stanley Cup with three different teams. He was also named the No. 2 most hated player in league history in a recent ESPN poll.

He was drafted in the second round of the 1983 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadians. He would join the Devils by trade in 1990, spending five seasons in New Jersey. His best season was 1994-95. He scored six goals in the regular season, then 13 in the playoffs, taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in helping the Devils to the Stanley Cup.

He played for the Colorado Avalanche for four and a half seasons before rejoining the Devils for 70 games in 1999-00. He later played for the Phoenix Coyotes, the Dallas Stars and the San Jose Sharks.

He posted 142 goals and 155 assists, a plus-16 and 627 penalty minutes in 423 games for the Devils.

27. Wilf Paiement (1974-1980, PS: 26.6)

Paiement, a right wing, was the first-round selection of the Kansas City Scouts in the 1974 NHL Draft. He was an original Scout, and spent his first five and a half NHL seasons with the Scouts/Rockies.

Paiement was selected to the All-Star game in three consecutive seasons, from 1976 through 1978. He averaged just under one point per game during that time, finishing sixth in the league in 1976-77 with 41 goals.

He would later play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Quebec Nordiques, the New York Rangers, the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

23. Aaron Broten (1980-1990, PS: 28.0)

Broten, a center and left wing, was selected in the sixth round of the 1980 NHL Draft by the Colorado Rockies. He spent his first nine and a half NHL seasons with the Rockies/Devils.

In the two seasons spanning 1986-88, Broten averaged just over a point per game.

Broten was traded away during 1989-90 to the Minnesota North Stars. He also had short stints with the Quebec Nordiques, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Winnepeg Jets. He never had any level of success after leaving the Devils.

22. Brian Rolston (1994-1999, 2008-2011, PS: 28.5)

Rolston was drafted in the first round of the 1991 NHL Draft by the Devils, playing his first five and a half NHL seasons with the club.

A utility forward, Rolston's value lies in his two-way ability and his versatility. He can play any forward position as needed. He also draws very few penalties.

Rolston was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 1999, and also played for the Boston Bruins and the Minnesota Wild before rejoining the Devils in 2008. He played three more seasons with them, and is currently a New York Islander.

1988-89 was his best New Jersey season. He scored 57 points, leading the NHL with five shorthanded goals.

21. Jason Arnott (1998-2002, 2010-2011, PS: 29.0)

Arnott was selected in the first round of the 1993 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.

He was traded to New Jersey in 1998 and helped the Devils to their second Stanley Cup in 2000, compiling eight goals and 12 assists in 23 playoff matches.

Arnott was sent to the Dallas Stars in 2002, and also played for the Nashville Predators before rejoining the Devils in 2010 for 62 games. He was traded to the Washington Capitals and is now a St. Louis Blue.

He totaled 110 goals and 135 assists, a rating of plus-41 and 317 penalty minutes.

20. Randy McKay (1991-2002, PS: 29.3)

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McKay was drafted in the sixth round of the 1985 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He joined the Devils in 1991, fulfilling a prior trade obligation.

McKay, a right winger, provided the Devils with a physical presence on the ice. He also chipped in an occasional point. He is best remembered for scoring the winning goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, en route to New Jersey's first Stanley Cup.

McKay played 10 and a half seasons with New Jersey, compiling a plus-115 along with 151 goals, 171 assists and 1,418 penalty minutes.

McKay went on to play 14 games with the Dallas Stars and one season with the Montreal Canadians.

He is currently a volunteer assistant coach for Michigan Tech's ice hockey program.

15. Brian Gionta (2001-2009, PS: 37.7)

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The Devils drafted Gionta in the third round of the 1998 NHL Draft.

In 2005-06, Gionta scored 48 goals, a New Jersey franchise record and sixth most in the league. 24 of those goals were of the power-play variety, good for second best in the NHL, and also a Devils' record.

Gionta signed as a free agent with the Montreal Canadians in 2009.

For New Jersey, he totaled 152 goals and 160 assists in 473 games, with 227 penalty minutes and a plus-62 rating.

14. Jamie Langenbrunner (2002-2011, PS: 40.8)

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The Dallas Stars chose Langenbrunner in the second round of the 1993 NHL Draft. He played with Dallas for his first seven and a half NHL seasons. He was traded to New Jersey near the end of the 2001-02 season.

Langenbrunner played in 564 games for the Devils, totaling 142 goals and 243 assists with a plus-33 rating and 415 penalty minutes.

He led the NHL with 11 goals and 18 points in the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs in helping New Jersey to their third title.

He rejoined the Stars for 39 games to conclude the 2010-11 season, and recently signed on with the St. Louis Blues.

10. Scott Gomez (1999-2007, PS: 45.8)

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Gomez is the first native Alaskan to play in the NHL, and won the Calder Memorial trophy honoring the leagues' top rookie for his performance in 1999-2000, when he totaled 19 goals and 51 assists, made the All-Star team and helped the Devils to their second Stanley Cup.

He was drafted by New Jersey in the first round of the 1998 NHL Draft, and spent his first seven seasons with them before playing for two seasons each with the New York Rangers and his current team, the Montreal Canadians.

In 2003-04, he led the NHL in assists with 56.

In 548 career games with New Jersey, Gomez compiled 116 goals and 334 assists with a plus-59 and 362 penalty minutes.

9. Bobby Holik (1992-2003, 2008-2009, PS: 49.2)

Holik was drafted by the Hartford Whalers in the first round of the 1989 NHL Draft, and played for the Whalers for two seasons before a trade brought him to New Jersey.

He made the All-Star team in 1998 and 1999, when he was among the league leaders in game-winning goals, with eight in each season.

He spent 10 seasons with the Devils before joining the New York Rangers and later the Atlanta Thrashers. He would rejoin the Devils for his final season in 2008-09. He retired following the season to spend time with his family.

Holik totaled 202 goals and 270 assists in 786 games with New Jersey. He served 863 penalty minutes and posted a plus-134 rating.

3. Scott Niedermayer (1991-2004, PS: 100.3)

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Niedermayer was selected in the first round of the 1991 NHL Draft by New Jersey. His first 13 seasons were spent in New Jersey.

Niedermayer was another prolific scoring defenseman for the Devils, and is second all time in assists with 364. He was also a power-play specialist, netting almost half of his 112 career goals with a man up.

He made the All-Star team three times, in 1998, 2001 and 2004. He was with New Jersey through all of their Stanley Cups. He also took one home with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, with whom he finished his career after five more seasons.

Niedermayer played in 892 games for the Devils, logging a plus-172 and 478 penalty minutes.

1. Martin Brodeur (1991-Present, Adjusted PS: 143.1)

Brodeur has led the NHL in wins nine times, made the All-Star team nine times, won three Stanley Cups, led the NHL in shutouts five times and posted a career .913 save percentage.

He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 1993-94. He won the Vezina Trophy honoring the league's top goalie, four times. He also won the William M. Jennings Trophy, presented to the goalie with fewest goals against, five times.

He is the NHL's all-time leader with 116 shutouts, 25,976 saves, 66,637 minutes and 625 wins.

He currently boasts a 625-350-137 record with a 2.22 goals against average.